The Italian Composting and Biogas Association (C.I.C.) unites public and private companies, local authorities and others involved in the production of compost, as well as organizations which do not make compost but have an interest in the composting process (producers of machinery and equipment, producers of fertilisers, research bodies etc.).

The increase in separate collection and recycling of food waste has been extraordinary in Italy: a 10% annual increase in 10 years.However, very few treatment plants have been built. This risks being the story of a missed opportunity.

The article appeared in the April 2015 Issue of Renewable Matter and includes an Interview to Mr. M. Centemero, the Managing Director of CIC, the Italian Composting and Biogas Association.

Families join around the dining-table at Christmas and New-year. Therefore supermarkets register an increase of selling of food products compared to other periods of the year. But during Christmas-time also MSW production increases, especially food waste, even if part of it contains still edible food and products. Recent estimation indicate that approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food is lost or wasted annually; within the EU27 approximately 90 million tonnes of food waste are generated annually, equivalent to 180kg per person. Food wastage could be reduced by not overfilling the shopping cart, but also by paying attention to what is thrown into the biobin.

Therefore CIC, the Italian Composting and Biogas Consortium, compiled a Decalogue for an effective separate collection of foodwaste, without wastage: download the decalogue as attachment.

As in other European countries, Italy has also undertaken a voluntary certification programme for quality compost promoted by the Italian Composting and Biogas Consortium (CIC).In 2001 CIC undertook a viability study coordinated by the Technical Committee of CIC. Thereafter a specific Quality Committee was established which drafted a series of rules to regulate the programme. These establish the frequency and types of product analyses required to achieve conformity with the Quality criteria laid down.

The voluntary certification programme for quality compost includes a first stage which certifies the product and following that, the creation of a Quality Assurance System, for both the product and the process.

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By the end of 2014 about 36 composting plants have signed up to the programme and the analysis and sampling programme has been initiated. The samples are analysed by the two laboratories certified in Italy for the European Ecolable Certification for Organic Soil Ammenders and Sub Strata.

Each lot/bag of compost sold by these plants has the right to use the Quality Compost CIC label. By end 2014 the amount of compost certified represents about 490,000 tonnes , equal to 32% of Italy's total compost production.

The product certification scheme is managed by CIC in cooperation with Certiquality which has the role of Certifier. Membership of the Certification scheme is voluntary and the concept of quality is based upon "acceptable risk". The standards aaplied in the Rules of CIC's product certification scheme are a useful instrument both for the producer of quality compost products as a way of monitoring the quality standards achieved; and for the consumer who can verify the quality of the compost used.

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